In today's VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world, we're surrounded constantly by stress
and pressure.
Some people always enjoy pressure. Pressure situations to them are
the very essence of life. They are a privilege to enjoy. When you are feeling
the pressure it means you are in the game and you must be close to achieving
something very important.
This advice about pressure is relevant to life, sport and business.
1. Work, work, work and focus on the fundamentals
You should always believed in controlling what you can control and
not worrying about what your competitors might do. In a new business pitch you should never
bother with who else is pitching. All you should focus on is doing what you do best and
ensuring you deliver your best on the day. To do this usually means you have to
work harder than those you are competing against.
2. Keep it simple
Ignore the politics, the possibilities, the past, and what
might happen. Don't over rehearse, don't get into too much detail, just push
yourself to be great and deliver the winning outcome.
3. Every game is the same.
The only thing that changes in the final pitch is the importance of winning or
losing. If it's a huge new business opportunity, then the stakes are high. But
the game is no different than the game we play every day. The rules are the
same. So focus on the game plan, not on the consequences.
4. Play in the now
Our brains crave control and certainty. Therefore, focus on
the controllables. It is what we can do that counts, not what the other people
might be doing.
5. Don't fear losing
You should have no fear of failure. Winning never comes easy, is
rarely predictable, and never follows a straight line. Setbacks always happen.
Accept it and you will reduce the stress when they occur. Your energy should
then be refocused on the task at hand and handling the problem, not on
increasing the stress levels. Setbacks should be converted into passionate feel
and belief.
Sean Fitzpatrick, the former All Blacks rugby captian once said that when his team lost a
test match, they gathered together and absorbed the pain together. Sean told them
to hold that feeling so they knew how badly it felt and they would do anything
to avoid it in the future.
Pressure. Bring it on.
